Liquid shut-off.



-11. MUELLER. LIQUID SHUT-OFF.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1906.

934,620, Patented Sept. 21, 1909.

Fig.1

J y-In! lll wizneeees- Inventor Jcn ryfiTueZZer 721 s Odie-rug UNITED STATES PrglENT OFFICE.

HENRY MUELLER, 0F DECATUR, ILLIN OIS, ASSIGNOB '1'0 H. MUELLER MANUFACTUR- ING- COMPANY,. OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LIQUID snu'r-orr.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1909.

.valves in shut-oils controlling liquids under pressure and a secondary objectis to provide means for preventing rubber valves from expanding out of operative shape.

The invention is exemplified inthe structure hereinafter described and it is defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming part of this.

specification Figure 1 is an elevation of a Fuller bib cock embodying my invention, a part of the cock being shown in section to expose essential elements. Figs. 2 and 3 are sections lengthwise through that part ofthe cock that incloses the embodiment of my invention, the valve being shown partly closed in Fig. 2 and completely closed in F ig 3. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a, rubber valve 1ncased in accordance with my invention. F 5 is a detail of the cup which forms an essential element of my invention.

The cock body 1 is herein shown as of the Fuller type comprising two members of which the outer one 3 screws into the inner .one 2 so as to leave a flat shoulder 31 projecting inwardly at the inner end of said outer member and a rounded valve seat 32 at the inner corner of said shoulder, and the stem 5 leads from the usual crank or eccentrio on the handle shaft through said member 3 (within which it may have lugs 51 to ide it in its motion) and through the ul1er-ball 6-the latter being held in place between a collar 7 onthe stem and a nut 8 screwed onto the threaded extremity thereof,"

as will bewell understood. The inlet of water is indicated by the arrow, and it will be clear that by turning the handle the working end of the ball will bedrawn against and compressed upon the valve seat 32 and projected slightly into the bore of the member 3 so as to close the cock and shutoff the flow of liquid. In the forward movement of this ball the crank or eccentric on the bandle shaft may cause the stem to swing slightly over a fulcrum formed by said lugs,

of the present invention consists in-provid-' ing means for preventin the ex ansion of the rear portion and ha y of said ball, as the nut 8 is tightened up from time to time on account of wear which takes place at its working end. This consists in a cylindrical shell 9, preferabl of thin metal, closely surrounding the b y of the ball except at its working end which is left exposed; and said shell is held upon the ball n any suitable manner, for instance by having its inner end cupped as shown-herein and clamped upon the stem 5 beneath the nut 8. In any event, the shell mo'ves backward and forward with the ball, and when the valve is in closed position as shown in Fig. 3 the front end of the shell need not contact with the valve seat 32 or shoulder 31.

That much of the invention thus far described would produce a Fuller cock' having a ball incased by an adjustable shell whose setting up would prolong its life and permitit to close re iably until the working end of the ball became worn to such an extentthat the front end of the shellcontacted with the shoulder 31. But it is well known to those skilled in this art that, espe cially where the valve closes against its seat with some obliquity as in a Fuller cock, a certain hammering or chattering takes place, and this it is the object of the present invention to avoid. Broadly speakin I accomplish'this end by loosely surroun ing the ball with a cup whose irregular open end contacts with the shoulder before the ball strikes its seat, whereby the inflowing water is partly shut off in advance of the complete closure of the cook. The details of this principal portion of the present invention will now be described.

Mounted loosely within. the member 2 and out of contact with its inner wall is a cup whose closed end 10 stands in rear of the nut 8 and abuts against a fixed stop 4 when the valveis 0 en, as shown in Fig. 1, "and whose cylindrical wall 10 rather closelybut yet loosely surrounds the ball 6 of the shell 9 if the latter be em loyed The 0 en end of this cup is'forme irregular as havingjopenings, indei'itations, or by pre ,erence notches 10 .in its wall. so that when the cup is moved forward said open end in striking the fiat shoulder 31 will. not make a tight closure thereupon.- If this nnproved form of shut off is used with a Fuller cock, as herein'illustrated. the obliquity of movement of the stem 5 will itself cause one side of the front edge of the wall to thoughstrict accuracy in this strike the shoulder before the other side contacts therewith; but in order to be per fcctly certain that the open end of the cup does notmake tight contact vwith the shoulder, I prefer to make it irregular as stated. I The cup is of sufficient length to have some play longitudinally upon the ball,

its movement in one direction being limited by contact with the nut S and in the other directionby contact with the stop Its fit around the ball (or its shell 9) is as close as .a. free sliding connection will. permit, whereby a sufiicient amount of watermay passinto or out of this cup for the purposes of the'present invention and yet its passage will be restricted.- Preferably the con struction of parts issuch that about the same amount of water will pass between the the bottompfthe cup is restricted and there is a tendency to form a vacuum therein. The parts are shown with the cock partly closedin' Fig. 2, wherein this first movement has carried the'front end of the cup into contact 'with the fiat shoulder 31. but its oblique position =or theirregularity or n'otches' 10 prevent tight closing against said shoulder, and therefore'yet permit the passage ofa small amount of water fromthe inlet around the en )ast the shoulder" seat, and a soft valve movable away from andvalve seat, and out through the shut off. Further movement of the handle shaft finally carries the parts to the position. shown in Fig. 3, and during this movement the valve has been drawn forward. within the cup. Thismovement of the valvetends to create a vacuum ,behind it within. the closed body of the cup, and such vacuum sucks -in water through the restricted space between them and retards the final closing of the valve. As shown in this View, when the working end of the ball 6 closes against its'seat 32 and is drawn artially thereinto, italso shuts .pff the small passage between the end of the cup and the shoulder, and

therefore serves to reliably and completely close the cock. A reverse movement of parts obviously first carries them from the position shown in Fig. to the rear until the bottom ll) of the cup strikes the stop t,

after which the continued movement of the handle shaft will slide the ball rearwardly within the cup and slowly expel the water acciunulatcd between them in a manner which will be clear. As the ball and cupv leave the seat and shoulder simultaneously, the cock will be opened quickly; but further movement. of the handle shaft to restore. the parts to their initial. position shown in Fig. 1 will be retarded bythe slow expulsion of the water through said restricted passage between the ball and cup. Ifa Fuller cock is used, it is possible that I the obliquity of the stem will be suflicient to avoid the necessity for irregularity of or openings in the wall of the cup, but by preference I] always employ them so as to make the action of the shut off positive. In any event, they are forward of the front end of the shellif it is employed, and .hence the a working'end of the ball serves as a shut olf for them as it closes against its seat. This explanation is given in order to distinguish from the possible location in the cup.of

-openings or notches deep enough to interfere with its rather close fit around the shell or to destroy the vacuum which is essential to the retarded movement of parts as above explained. f

" hat is elaimed as new is:

1. In a liquid shut off, the combination with a passage-way having a flat internal shoulder with its inner corner rounded and forming a valve seat, and asoft valve movable away from said seat and to and partly into it; of a member having a wall fitting closely but slid-ably around the valve with a restricted passage between them, its front end which engages said shoulder being irregular, said member being movedyielel-v inglyby and with the movements ofthe valve, for the purpose setforth. v

2. In a liquid shut off, the combination with a passageway having an internal. shoulder with its corner forming a valve said seat and to and partly into-it; of a member having a wall around the valve with I a restricted passage between them, its. front end which engages said shoulder being notched, said member being moved yield-- ingly by the movement of the valve, for the purpose set forth.

In a liquid shut off, the combination with a passageway having an internal shoulder with its inner corner forming a valve seat, and a. Fuller stem having a soft valve movable away from said seat andto and partly into it; of a member having a wall. around the valve with a restricted passage between them, its front end closing obenters its seat,

liquely against said shoulder, said member being moved yieldingly by the movements of the valve, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a liquid shut off, the combination with apassageway having an internal shoulder surrounding a valve seat, a stem passing 'tiieret-hrough, means for moving it longitu- (finally and for rocking it slightly, and a soft ball valve adapted in seating to pass the shoulder; of a cylindrical member having a loose in said passageway and fitting ,aly around the valve,,the frontend of wall engaging said shoulder before'the ire closes against and enters its seat,. for e purpose set forth.

.- Ina liquid shut oil, thecombination with a passageway having an internal shoul-,

der surrounding a valve seat, a stem, means for moving it longitudinally and for rocking it slightly, ing to pass the shoulder; of a cylindrical member having a wall loose in said passageway and fit frictionally around the valve so as to be moved yieldingly with the valve, the front end of the wall engaging said shoulder before the valve closes against and for the pnrpose set forth.

6. In, a liquid shut oil, the combination with a cock body having a passageway with an internal shoulder surrounding a valve seat, a stop within the larger portion of the passageway, and a Fuller valve stem projecting through the seat and smaller portion of the passageway and having lugs within the latter; of aball carriedby the stem with its working end adapted to close upon and be drawn slightly into said seat, a cylindrical member .havinga wall fitting slidably around the ball and shorter than the distance between saidst op and shoulder, saidmember being moved yieldingly with and in advance of the ball until it strikes either the stop or the shoulder, for vthe purpose set forth.

7.-In a liquid shut off, the combination with a passageway having a valve seat and a surrounding shoulder; of a stem projecting through the seat, a soft valve on the stem adapted to close against said seat, and a cup fitting slidably around the valve and movable longitudinally in said passageway, the vcup having one end closed behind the valve whereby it is held thereon by suction only and having a body longer than the valve wherebyits open end will. strike said shoul- -der before the valve strikes its seat, said open end being n'regular, for the purpose set forth.

8. In a liquid shutofi", the-combination with a passageway having a valve seat and a surroundingshoulder; of a stem projecting cup and a soft valve adapted in seatthrough the seat, a soft valve on the stem adapted to be closed against said seat, and a fitting slidably around the valve and movable longitudinally in said passageway, the cup having a body longer thanthe valve whereby its open end will strike said shoul-- der before the valve strikes its seat, said body having radial openings at its open end, for the purpose set forth.

9. In a liquid shut off, the combination with a passageway having a valve seat and a surrounding shoulder; of a stein projecting through the seat, a soft valve on thestem adapted to be closed against said seat, and a cup fitting slidably around the valvev and movable longitudinally in said passageway, the cup having a body longer than the valve whereby its open end will strike said shoulder before the valve strikes its mouth. of said open end being notched, for the purpose set forth.

10. In a liquid shut off, the combination with a passageway having a valve seat and a surrounding shoulder; of a ball valve whose working end is adapted to seat against said shoulder, a metal shell secured around the body of the ball in rear of said working end, and a member fitting slidably around the shell where it embraces said body and adapted to project beyond it around the working end of the ball, the projecting end of said member having openings in its wall.

11. In a liquid shut off, the combination with a passageway having a valve seat and a surrounding shoulder; of a ball valve whose working end is adapted to seat against said shoulder, and a cup-shaped member fitting slidably around said body and adapted to project beyond it around the working end of.

the ball, the projecting end of said member having notches in the extremity of its wall.

12. In a liquid shut off, the combination with a passageway having a valveseat and a surrounding shoulder; of a stem projecting through the seat, a soft valve on the stem adapted to be closed against said seat, a metal shell encircling said soft valve exceptat its working end, and a cup fitting slidably around the shell and movable longitudinally in said passageway, the cup having a body longer than the valve whereby its open end will strike said shoulder before the valve strikes its seat, said open end being notched, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign ,my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY MUELLER.

lVitnesses J. H. MoEvov, J 01in L. lVAnoELn.

seat, .the 

